SUKHNANDI VYAM – GOND ARTIST of MADHYA PRADESH

video clip | View Paintings

Sukhanandi Vyam’s works in clay and wood make the viewers eager to know more about Gond cultural traditions. He had made the Lilar Kothi along with his father Pyarelal Vyam in the open air exhibition “mythological trail” at IGRMS, Bhopal. Sukhanandi had learnt wood carving from his uncle Subhash Vyam at a very young age. In 1991, a workshop was held by IGRMS in art and craft in Pantagarh in which eight year old Sukhanandi had participated. His work in clay was liked by everyone. Subhash Vyam then took him to Bhopal and taught him to work in wood too. Since then Sukhanandi has been working in wood and creating images of various pantheons, rituals, animals and also of characters of various folk tales. Sukhanandi Vyam has travelled extensively in the country and he enjoys answering queries about Gond culture. His favourite God is Mallu Dev who cures children of diseases related to stomach. When Sukhanandi’s children fall sick, Sukhanandi prays to Mallu Dev whom he had visualized and carved in wood. Though their pantheon did not have a form, the contemporary artists have visualized them, granting them a form. Sometimes Sukhanandi creates wooden forms, which not related to Gond culture. Once a foreigner had asked him to create an artist in wood, an artist whose intensity should be captured. Sukhanandi made the ‘artist’ five feet tall and gave him four arms to hold brushes of four different sizes.

Sukhanandi felt connected with the artist since an artist is an artist, wherever he or she may be from.